AB 325 NOW AB 1881

Did you know that water efficient landscapes and irrigation systems offer more potential water savings than any other single water conservation measure!

So what does this mean for you? Well in Sept. of 1990 Gov. Pete Wilson signed Assembly Bill 325 directing the department of water resources to adopt a model local water efficient landscape ordinance (this ordinance has now been revised as AB1881) which each local agency is mandated to adopt no later than Jan. 31st 2010. Each agency (city) will thus be required to submit a copy of what they are going to do to comply with this ordinance and how they are going to do it. This ordinance is important for many reasons...

1. Promotes the values and benefits of landscapes while recognizing the need to invest water and other resources as efficiently as possible.
2. Establish a structure for designing, installing & maintaining water efficient landscapes in new projects.
3. Establish provisions for water management practices and water waste prevention for landscapes.

You may be wondering if this will affect you. Well! It will, because if your water meter reads that you used more than the maximum allowed water usage for a given month then you will be subject to fines. How much are the fines you ask? Well that would depend on each city and how they choose to enforce this ordinance.

Is this where you freak out? NO! This is where you kill your lawn and have an earth friendly landscape designed and installed. A simple cost effective solution to what might be a scary thought. But I need to have my lawn because all my neighbors do. So if you neighbor jumps off of a bridge then will you? I hope not. Seriously though you do not and cannot be mandated by any agency to have lawn in your garden. Unless you have a play/recreational area then you will most likely have no use for lawn so then why have it. Why not turn that space into something more functional and pleasing to look at.